The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and Wai Young, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, recently announced that the Government of Canada is continuing its commitment to limit air emissions from the Canadian transportation sector.
“ The Government of Canada is pleased to launch the Shore Power Technology for Ports Program ,” said Minister Lebel. “ This $27.2-million contribution program will help Canadian ports install shore power, which will reduce air emissions from ships, protect the environment and health of Canadians, and further Canada’s economic prosperity .”
Shore power technology for ports, also called marine shore power or cold-ironing, is a leading-edge technology that allows ships to turn off their diesel engines while docked and connect to an electrical power supply at the port facility. This technology will improve local air quality by reducing air pollution from ships in some of Canada’s largest urban centres and will also contribute to ports’ competitiveness.
“ As we have seen with the success of shore power for cruise ships at Port Metro Vancouver, this program will also help Canada’s tourism sector to take advantage of growth opportunities, increase tourism revenues and create jobs in all regions of Canada ,” said MP Young.
The Shore Power Technology for Ports Program builds on Transport Canada’s successful Marine Shore Power Program that was introduced in 2007 and concludes in March 2012. This demonstration program provided $2 million to Port Metro Vancouver to install shore power technology for cruise ships and $1.8 million to the Port of Prince Rupert to support the installation of shore power for container ships.
Following consultations with port authorities and terminal operators in winter 2012, a call for proposals will be issued this spring. Canadian Port Authorities and private entities engaged in operating and/or that own marine ports and terminals in Canada will be eligible for funding.
Funding for the Shore Power Technology for Ports Program was provided in Budget 2011 as part of the renewal of the Government of Canada’s Clean Air Agenda.
The Clean Transportation Initiatives will focus on aligning Canadian regulations with those in the United States and with international standards, improving the efficiency of the transportation system and on advancing green technologies. These initiatives will help Canada achieve its economy-wide target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020.
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Dredging Today Staff, February 1, 2012; Image: portmetrovancouver